Recently, a wireless chip which sends and receives data has been actively developed, and such a wireless chip is also called an IC tag, an ID tag, a radio frequency (RF) tag, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a wireless tag, an electronic tag, a wireless processor, a wireless memory, or the like.
As a transmission system of the wireless chip, there are three types of an electromagnetic coupling system, an electromagnetic induction system, and a radio wave system. The electromagnetic coupling system employs a mutual induction of electric coils by alternating magnetic field, and employs a frequency of 13.56 MHz. With the electromagnetic coupling system, a communication with a range of approximately several tens cm at most can be performed. The electromagnetic induction system employs two types of frequencies with classifying broadly. One is 135 kHz or less, and the other is 13.56 MHz. Communication with a range of maximum about 1 m with a wireless chip can be performed, though it depends on a shape and a size of a wireless chip and a reader/writer. The radio wave system employs frequency bands of UHF and 2.45 GHz, and has a greatest feature that a communication range is long.
Generally, a wireless chip (also referred to as an IC chip) includes an integrated circuit portion including a transistor or the like, and an antenna. The wireless chip can exchange information with an external device (reader/writer) via radio waves. Lately, by providing the wireless chip to various articles, monitoring, management, or the like of the articles is tried. For example, a merchandize management system has been proposed in which by attaching a wireless chip to an article, the merchandise management is automatically carried out with ease, as well as the stock control of the stock quantity, the stock status, and the like (Reference 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-359363). In addition, an application of the wireless chip to a security device or a security system has been proposed for improving the anticrime effect (Reference 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-303379). Further, a method for preventing abuse due to exploitation by mounting the wireless chip to paper money, securities, or the like has been proposed (Reference 3: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-260580). Thus, applications of the wireless chip to various fields have been proposed.
In addition, the wireless chip is used by attaching to a surface of an article, embedding in an article, or the like so as to be fixed. For example, the wireless chip is used after embedding in an organic resin of a package made of the organic resin, or attaching to a surface thereof.